Foldable cardboard box



Oct. 3o, 1945. R. F, SMART 2,388,190

FOLDABLE CARDBOARD BOX Filed Feb. 22, 1946` 2 Shawna-sheet` 1 Oct. 30, l1945. R. F. SMART 2,388,190

FOLDABLE CARDBOARD BOX Filed Feb. 22, 1943 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Oct. 3.0, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE FOLDABLE CARDBOARD BOX Ralph F. Smart, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Meade Hyndman, Highland, lll.

Application February 22, 1943, Serial No. 476,695

'1 Claim. (Cl. 229-39) 'I'his invention relates to foldable cardboard Fig. 5 is a plan view looking into the box, showboxes. ing the tabs and aps in intermediate positions An object of the invention is to provide an im before the box is completely opened.

proved foldable cardboard box composed of a Fig. 6 is a similar plan view looking into the unitary or one-piece cardboard blank of novel box. showing the tabs and flaps in positions durconstruction and form including two compleing movement thereof to properly interlocked mentary side walls and two complementary end positions of the tabs for forming th'e bottom wall walls, all of said Walls having their lower edges of the box.

in alinement with each' other, tabs having alined Fig. 7 is a plan view showing the inside of the lhinges integrally connecting them with the low- COlnpletely Opened bOX- er edges of said respective walls and being simul- Fig. 8 is a bottom Plan View 0f the outside of taneously foldable along said alined hinges upon the box completely opened. said respective walls by a single folding operation. Fig. 9 is an enlarged Sectional view on the line means for interlocking and overlapping two of 9-9 of Fig?. said tabs that are connected with two opposed The blank of which the box is made is comcomplementary walls to form and provide e, botposed of cardboard or the like and is a unitary tom for the box, and flaps having hinges inor one-piece structure. The unitary or one-piece tegrally connecting them with said interlocking blank is elongated and provided with' transverse tabs fastened to the underside of an adjacent one score lines I, 2, 3 and I along which the blank of said tabs th'at are hinged to an adjacent wall 20 is folded. These transverse score lines divide the portion, said tabs and said hinge connections beblank into two complementary side walls 5 and 8, ing arranged so that the box may be opened, and two complementary end walls I and 8, and an held open when said tabs are interlocked, and attaching tab 9. may be refolded when said tabs are released The Vertical Width 0f the Side and en'd Walls is from interlocking engagementuniform. A longitudinal score line along the Another object of the invention is to provide 10Wer ,edges of said side and end walls forms a foldable'cardboard box composed of a blank of hinges l0 integrally uniting the side walls 5 and the form and construction already mentioned and 5 With bottom Wall forming tabs II and I2, and more specifically described hereinafter and illusintegrally uniting the end Walls 'I and 8 with' trated in the annexed drawing, whereby the boxes tabs I3 and Il for attaching the end walls to foldmay be assembled in quantities more rapidly and able ilaps integral with the tabs II and I2. All at less cost than boxes composed of blanks of of the hinges I0 are longitudinally alined so that different form and construction. a single straight score line parallel with the upper other objects will be apparent from the foledges of the walls 5. 6, 1 and 8 provides said lowing description, reference being made to the ,35 hinges. The bottom Wall forming tabs Il and annexed drawings, 1n which- I2 are formed with' interengaging notches I5 and Fig. 1 is a plan view of an extended and un- I6, respectively, in their free edges about midway folded blank for making a box in accordance with of their ends so that, when the blank and tabs are this invention. properly folded and properly attached, as shown Fig. 2 1s o plan view showing the tabs or the 4 in Fig. 4, the box may be opened and the bottom blank as initially folded and superimposed upon wall forming blanks II and I2 automatically inthe inner surfaces of the wall portions of the y terlocked approximately at the center of the box blank with which said respective tabs h'ave in- (Fig. 7) t0 provide a completed box. That is. the tegral connection. u ,bottoms of the two interengaged notches I5 and Fig, 3 is a pien view similar to Fig, 2 snowing I8 are at the center of the box bottom. 'I'hese hinged naps of the bottom wall forming tabs notches constitute means for interlocking and folded upon the tabs proper to expose margins of preventing relative sliding of the two tabs I I and the folded portions of the ilaps for attachment to i2. and thereby prevent folding or collapse 0f the adjacent end wall tabs when the wall portions bOX until Said notches are disengaged from each having said adjacent tabs and flaps are properly 0 other, and also hold the ends of the two tabs II folded for each' attachment. and I2 in iixed positions under th'e respective Flg. 4 is a plan view showing one side of the naps IT and I9 and across the hinges I8 and 20 completely folded box blank after the tabs and When the bOX iS Open- Difl'erent Positions through flaps have been' permanently or integrally atwhich the tabs are moved during their movetoonea. monts from romeo position or the box to the positionsthey occupy when th'e box is opene'd are shown in Figs. and 6. The tab II is integrally united with a ilap I 'I by a hinge I8 extending from intersection of the hinges I and I 0 to the notch I 6 approximately midway of the length of the tab I I. And the tab I2 is integrally united with' a ilap I9 by a hinge 20 extending from intersection of the hinges 3 and I0 to the notch IB approximately midway of the length of the tab I2.

After the blank has been formed to include f the blank, they occupy the positions shown in Fig. 2. Next, the iiaps I'I and I9 are folded along the hinges I3 and 20, respectively, and superposed on the tabs II and I2. Then, cement or glue is placed upon exposed surfaces of tabs or flaps which are to be attached and which will overlap each other after they have been attached. For instance, the inner surface of the end portion of the side wall 5 which is to be attached to the tab 9, or the outer surface of said tab 9, may be provided with a coat 2| of cement or glue; the ilap I 'I or the tab I3, which are to be attached together in overlapping position, may be provided with a. coat 22 of cement or glue; and the tab I4 or the ilap I 9, which are to be attached together in overlapping position, may be provided with a. coat 23 of cement or glue.

Next, the wall 8 is folded along the hinge 3 to superpose the tab I4 on the lower margin of the flap I9, and the wall 5 is folded along the hinge I to superpose the ap II on the tab I3 and to overlap the nap I 9. When thus folded, the parts occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4. Suitable pressure is applied to cause the coats of glue or cement 2|, 22 and 23 to attach the adjacent overlapping iiaps and tabs, leaving the blank or box folded flatwise and ready to be opened by movement through the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to the linal interlocked positions shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9.

When the box is opened by movement of the parts through the positions shown in Figs. 5 and 6 to the final positions shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the tabs I I and I2 cross each other at the notches I5 and I8, and said tabs II and I2 are interlocked at said notches. In this crossed and interlocked arrangement, the end portion of the tab I I opposite from the flap II extends under the flap I9 ,which has integral or permanent connection with the underside of the flap Il by the attaching glue 23, and thereby sustains most of the weight of fthe contents of the carton at this end. The end of the ap I2 opposite from the ilap I9 extends under the ilap I'I, which is integrally or permanently attached to the underside of the ilap I3 by the attaching glue or cement 22, and which is thereby strengthened and reinforced to sustain the weight of the contents of the carton at this end. Both tabs I3 and I 4 are above the respective flaps I1 and I 9, respectively, and are within the box.

From the foregoing disclosure, it is evident that my improved carton may be assembled in minimum time, thereby substantially reducing the cost of assembly below the cost of assembling boxes made of other types of blanks. The wall forming elements that are within the open carton and which sustain and support the weight of the contents are integrally or permanently united with the walls of the carton along the hinge lines I0. The tabs that form the bottom wall of the carton have portions interlocked that are integrally united and hinged to opposite side walls, and the hinged end flaps of said interlocked tabs are permanently attached to the undersides of tabs that are integral with the end walls. This not only facilitates and expedites folding the blank as required to provide the carton, but also constitutes a reinforced and strengthened structure that will sustain the weight of any contents for which the .carton is designed.

I claim:

A foldable cardboard box composed of a onepiece cardboard blank including two opposite complementary side walls and two opposite complementary end walls integrally hinged together in endwise series by parallel transverse corner hinges, two complementary tabs having alined hinges integrally connecting them with the lower edges of said respective side walls and two complementary tabs having alined. hinges integrally connecting them with the lower edges of said respective end walls whereby all of said tabs may be folded upon said respective walls when said walls are fiatwise, flaps having hinges integrally connecting them with said ilrst named two tabs, and means attaching said flaps to the undersides of said second named two tabs, said ilrst named two tabs having interengageable notches intersecting and curving away from the ends of said last named hinges for interlocking said rst named two tabs and holding the ends thereof in fixed positions under said respective flaps and across the said hinges of said ilaps and also vertically below said second two tabs when the box is open.

RALPH F. SMART. 

